A worthy Minnesota boost for American Indian education

Grant Two Bulls’ inspiring story is a reminder of the potential of Minnesota’s 20,000 American Indian students. Two Bulls, an 18-year-old senior at the Breck School, was featured this week in a Star Tribune story. He recently won the American Indian Science Fair with a project that combined science with his Indian heritage to study the environmental impact of an ancient settlement on the shores of Lake Calhoun. He’s now bound for Dartmouth College.

Most of Minnesota’s Indian students don’t attend an elite metro private school. They get their education in the state’s public schools or its four federal Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. This week, as part of his supplemental budget, Gov. Mark Dayton proposed historic initiatives to help all Minnesota students of Indian heritage unlock their full potential, just as Two Bulls is doing. Legislators need to follow Dayton’s lead and pass these targeted measures.

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/297087931.html